The Wroughton Branch

The Wroughton Branch of the Family

There is a so-called 'Wroughton Branch' of the family who are genetically closely related to the Wiltshire/Nelson Washbourns, in that they spring from a common ancestor - one Thomas Washbourn (1736-1803) who farmed at Lea in Wiltshire. The branch was named by Richard Washbourn in his 1961 family history.

Although the Wroughton Branch members never emigrated to New Zealand, they are conclusively part of the Wiltshire Branch of the family, separating off around Generation 17. Their story is recounted here.

Thomas Washbourn was the eldest son of John Washbourn (the first) of Yatesbury and was born in Lea in Wiltshire. He married Mary White in 1766. About 1769, Thomas left Yatesbury and is found some years later farming Overton, Wroughton, some 8 miles to the north and east of Yatesbury. They had a family of five (John b. 1767; Thomas b. 1770; Ann b. 1770; Mary b. 1772; Abraham b. 1774; Ann b. 1780). Of these 3 sons, only Thomas had a family.

Richard Washbourn wrote in 1961 : A Wroughton dynasty was thus established, which lasted about a hundred years, and the members occupy a large tract of Wroughton Churchyard. It is possible that some male branches have survived. By local gossip, the later members were a 'gay' lot, and squandered their money on drink and gambling. The ony known survivor in these parts, Maria Washbourn, great-great-great-granddaughter of Thomas, born in 1892, was alive in 1952. I wrote to her, but she said she knew nothing of the family and was not interested.

Wroughton is oposite this text, just

south of Swindon.

Yatesbury is inland

a tad here.

Fast forward to 2006. I receive an email from a heretofore unknown person who has picked up my address from Curious Fox genealogical forum . The writer is Caroline (née Washbourn) Ireland, who explains that she is a descendant of the Wroughton Washbourns, and in due course provides me with a descendant tree, stretching from Thomas Washbourn (1736-1803) to herself (b. 1955 in London) as Caroline Washbourn, the eldest daughter of one Jack Washbourn who is 7 generations away from Thomas. So it seems that Richard Washbourn may have been right when he surmised in 1961 that 'some male members may have survived'. There are now known to be several other living people from this branch in the UK, and although I have exchanged emails with them they have not been fully traced.

In my retirement, Caroline's skeletal information has been parsed and checked [for places and dates]; subsequent postings have added to the base, and finally I have added most of it to my own Washbourn database. It is of interest that a framework of this branch of the family is outlined here. Our common ancestor is John Washbourn (1706-1758), yeoman, of Yatesbury in Wiltshire - the 1st son/1st child of Robert Washbourn of Cleverton. John is generation 16 in the 'Descendancy' page chart.

In updating this page, I have taken the opportunity of removing a lead which turned out to be in error; and the line to Douglas and Jill Washbourn has been inserted; Jill has done a heap of genealogical research on the Wroughton Washbourns.

In 2018, other correspondence has come to hand from David Walker who is also a descendant of this branch of the family, albeit with a surname change through marriage. He appears in the table below.

The Wroughton Branch thus drops down in this way as shown below (which is a summary only of the main players). Generation numbers are continued on from those on the 'Descendancy' page ~

G16 John Washbourn (1706-1758) of Yatesbury (bur. Lea) (m. Ann Merrimoth) >> Common ancestor with the Nelson Washbourns

G17 Thomas Washbourn (1738-1803) of Yatesbury (d. Wroughton) (+Mary White)

G18 Thomas Washbourn (1770-1808) of Wroughton (+Elizabeth Vivash)

G19 John Washbourn (1800-1863) of Wroughton (+ Harriett Mildenhall)

G20 John Washbourn (1826-1871) (+Eliza Reeve) --------------- G21 John Hillyer Reeve Washbourn (1846-)

(+m2 Louisa Isemonger)

G22 John Hillyer Washbourn (1891-1969 (+Emmie Still)

G23 Douglas Washbourn (1926- ) (living) (+Jill Matthews)

G20 Thomas Washbourn (1831-1898) (+Hannah Rogers) ---------- G21 Herbert Washbourn (1865-1937) (+Ellen Medcalf)

G22 William Washbourn (1897-1983) (+Harriett Barnard)

G23 Jack Washbourn (1928-2016) (+Pamela Hulme)

G24 Caroline Washbourn (1955- ) (living)

G21 Thomas Washbourn (1861- ) (+Louise Mary Riley) ------------- G22 Thomas A Washbourn (1897-1962) (+ Rachel A. Clarke)

G23 Margaret Washbourn (1938- ) (+Albert Walker)

G24 David Walker (1957- ) (living)

The Washbourn tombs in Wroughton Churchyard beneath

the Great Yew Tree, right outside the entrance to the church.

The table tomb with Doric columns containing the remains

of Thomas (G18: 1770-1808) and Elizabeth is now a listed monument.

Photo sourced from Caroline Ireland.